Netflix’s ‘Forever’ Is an All-Time Great Romance

On May 8, Netflix changed the landscape of teen romances, as it released the new series Forever, created for TV by Mara Brock Akil. The series is an adaptation of Judy Blume’s novel of the same name, published back in 1975, and is one of the best-known young adult books from the second-wave feminism era. The widely loved Netflix adaptation starring Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. tackles the topics of adolescence and first love in a more modern way and adds a pleasant twist. While the original novel featured white characters and focused on their romantic relationship, the Netflix series focuses predominantly on Black characters and goes beyond just romance.

The classic novel and the Netflix adaptation focus on two teenagers who lose contact at a young age but unexpectedly meet again at a New Year’s Eve party. Adulthood and passion had started to bloom in them during their time apart, and they immediately fell in love. It’s a proper Romeo and Juliet moment, with a few more awkward conversations and giggly interactions. Time has already called the show one of TV’s greatest romances, and the positive reception is understandable because Forever does pretty much everything right.

‘Forever’ Introduces Relatable Characters

Our central pair is Keisha and Justin, played by Lovie Simone (Manhunt) and Michael Cooper (On the Come Up). The series skips nothing, and instead allows the full adolescence to young adulthood experience to unfold realistically. Keisha and Justin are far from perfect, even coming across as annoying at times. This isn’t bad writing, though, and it isn’t terrible acting either. It is quite the opposite. The Netflix romance drama series deliberately dives into the real, the ugly, and the vastness of first love. This approach is exactly what a generation constantly brainwashed by the mainstream media’s unrealistic depiction of love, particularly first-time love, needs.

Forever is full of relatable characters, even beyond Keisha and Justin, and it shows in the overall exceptional quality of the series. The teen drama beautifully captures the challenges of parenthood, as there comes a point in time when the parents’ wishes for their children collide with the teenagers’ passions. Keisha comes from a working-class family, living with her single mother, and she longs to live up to their shared dream of having her attend a renowned college. Keisha is dedicated, exceeds expectations, and works hard to make her mother proud, but their shared goal doesn’t come without issues.

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Just like many teens, Keisha keeps a secret. Suffering through it alone, she worries about losing her mother’s respect. Justin finds himself in a similar, yet somehow completely different, situation. He is a rich kid and no stranger to private schools and high-end events, but while his parents push him to further his education at a prestige college, Justin’s passion lies with hip-hop beats and producing music.

Forever explores the nuances of the classic back-and-forth between teens and parents as what is expected and what is desired fight to align. Teens’ self-exploration and pride, and parents’ wisdom and love are written all over Forever, which carries a valuable message for its audience. First love can be messy, confusing, and all-consuming, but there is beauty and many lessons found in growing love from the stage of adolescence into adulthood.

The Modern Depiction of Intimacy in ‘Forever’

Unlike the controversial novel, Forever successfully avoids objectifying characters and creating unrealistic sexual relationships. Teen movies and shows often struggle to depict sexuality with the nuance it requires. However, this book-to-series adaptation shows everyone how it is done. Keisha and Justin’s sexual experiences are not at the center of the story, but they certainly elevate it profoundly. The primary objective of Forever is that the characters’ inner struggles come to the surface and are explored in greater detail. The series still offers enough room for intimacy, though, and creates an on-and off-screen safe space.

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The young couple at the center of the popular series streaming on Netflix discovers their physical connection with all its ups and downs. It captures the realistic difficulty of finding the right time and space, the awkwardness of just learning how to be with each other, and discovering intimacy and personal boundaries. Luckily, Forever has been renewed for a second season, because its honest and genuine depiction of young love needs to be explored even more.

Whether it’s that sex talk that somehow involved Eric testing Justin’s contraception knowledge by asking him to put on a condom on a cucumber in the dark (parents are certainly out there coming up with the wildest ideas) or both Keisha and Justin learning about consent and growing from every step they take together, Forever stirred up a wonderful concoction of teen love and parenthood.

Forever is available to stream on Netflix.